Severus as Uninvited Guest
by Varity Sinning
Summary: The title says it all.
1. Chapter 1 Deep Breath

**-= JKR is undisputed master over the Harry Potter Dominion, I am not.=-**

**Chapter One**

**Deep Breath**

Dread washed over Severus silent form as he drove east on A59. "Damn!" He knew he should have sent a letter. But no that wouldn't work either, would go unread at best. He had a certain responsibility for the man after all.

What is with people, you ask them an honest question, and they don't even give the courtesy of an honest reply? Damn man.

Severus rounded the islands in the car park, and pulled to a stop. He entered the foyer with a stiff carriage.

"Lovely to see you Mr. Snape. I hope all is well. Shall I ring him?" Snape acknowledged her question with an arrested nod. She was a little too cheerful for his liking.

Taking in the surroundings reflexively on his walk down the hall. Clean, tastefully decorated, smelled pleasant, if antiseptic. He couldn't make any real complaints, must be something.

Deep Breath. Severus knocked on the door.

"Bugger Off!" The voice on the inside instructed.

Deep Breath. Control in hand, Snape opened the door slowly. "Dad, it's me. I came for a visit."


	2. Chapter 2 As Duty Demands

**-=JKR owns everything, not me.=-**

**Chapter Two**

**As Duty Demands**

Tobias jerked his head in Severus' direction, which was as much of a welcome as he was likely to get. The door clicked shut behind him and he took an arm chair next to the occupied bed.

Stop stalling, he told himself. "How have you been since Boxing Day?" Tobias grunted. "I trust you got the package, I sent for your Birthday." Severus remained calm

"Got the bloody, books. Would'a been better if it had been some single malt." Tobias sucked in a wet breath. "'Spose you've been listenin' to that cow."

"Yes, and speaking of which, I'm to understand you've been completely uncooperative, and belligerent to the staff." Snape said coolly.

"Don't you get stuck up with me boy! Use big words and a snooty tone. Drug yourself up real good, rub it in. I won't be round much longer, I don't expect." Painting a spectrum from angry to defeated.

Severus slumped in his chair cradling his forehead in his palm. "Given your attitude, I don't think you'll be going anywhere for a while ya old hickory stick." Severus grudgingly offered.

Tobias almost smiled, but not quite.

"Still you need to stop this, you're not forty any more. The ranting, raving, carrying on and just being impossible is not helping. This place seems all right, clean, and well cared for. And the staff... they're young and energetic, I'll give them that." Tobias grumbled something to the contrary. Severus stood, striding about like a caged animal. "So, let me understand," he ticked off on his fingers. "You hate this place, same as you hated the last two places. If it's not the food, it's the room," anger growing, "or a resident." He stopped sharply putting both palms down on the bed, "Or the staff won't let you grope them. I don't pretend to be an expert, but nice birds don't take that sort of behaviour kindly." Waving one hand out in a dramatic fashion, "Want me to move you somewhere else? Hmm?"

"Don't get cute with me, boy. I ain't one of your snivelling students." Tobias was nearly purple with fury.

Severus waved an airy hand, "Don't know when to stop being an ass."

"Ass? Ass? You might wanta check the mirror, you arrogant little shit." The bed-ridden man puffed.

"Family trait, I'm afraid." Severus said as much to himself as his old man. He levelled his asperity at his father. "This is the nicest place I was able to find, so what is the problem?"

"Bit too fancy, this isn't my class of people. I can't talk to...stuck in this room, just a lump. And anyway, what do you care? You needn't wipe my arse. No idea. Not like you need to bother. Yeah, I'm an ass. Always was, I guess."

Severus slumped back in his chair, and shot him through with a quelling glare. "You're all I got left. Flesh and blood, which is supposed to mean..."

"Don't need to remind me what a bad parent I was. I ken as much." Tobias's words rambled, and sputtered on.

Angry, Severus demanded. "You think I'm perfect? I'm far from perfect Dad. I've done things that would be horrifying by any decent person's standards." Breathing slow staring at his hands. "I don't expect you to be perfect. Wouldn't hurt you to cooperate. The staff seem all right, ask them to take you out or something. They can and will."

"Your mum, rest her soul. She deserved better. Wish I could have made it up to Eileen." Tobias' rambling began to deteriorate.

A questioning knock at the door. "Mr. Snape," her head poked around the door. "Time for your meds. Hello there Mr. Snape, I didn't know you were going to be visiting. What a pleasant surprise. I'll only be a moment." Efficient, she pulled out the syringes plunging them deftly into the stoppered catheter embedded in his arm one at a time.

She checked Tobias' vitals, and unobtrusively exited.

"While I'm here would you like me to wheel you around the place? Maybe sit by the lake. I can conjure you a fishing rod, if you like." Severus experienced a lack of usefulness, which he wasn't accustom to.

"You would do that? Yeah, fishing." Tobias asked hopefully.

His dad looked something like his old self, Severus thought wanly. "Let me check in with the desk, make sure they don't mind."

Severus came back and grinned. "They said, 'no'. I Obliviated the lot of them, now we're in the clear." Actually, they gave him the ok right way, as long as they put the fish back in the pond.

"That's a lad." Tobias tried to sit up, but needed help. Severus helped him up and into the wheelchair.

Severus felt a pang of sympathy, to see his father reduced to this. If what went around, came around then matters were bound to get much worse before the end of it.

Not to mention what is own eventual fate may be. Severus shuttered, thinking about the extent of his own crimes.

"Mr. Snape, please before you leave." The Matron waved him into a small room.

Snape knew what she was going to say, so stayed her proclamation. "I am aware, Madame. He's losing."

"Yes, at the beginning of the week your father showed signs he was headed for a decline. We reviewed your instructions." She tapped the folder in explanation. "There are to be no resuscitative measures, and he is not to be put on life support. Do your wishes remain the same?"

Severus inclined his head briefly, "Make sure he is comfortable. Thank you. Keep me informed please." Swiftly Snape returned to his car. After several minutes he found it in the generous car park.

He thumped the steering wheel with the heel of his hands. "Damn, you! You're such a bastard," resting his elbow on the door he cradled his head. "If you hadn't been such a cruel fuck this might not have happened. I've done what I can," pulling himself together. Severus wiped his face and motored away.


	3. Chapter 3 The Only Guest

**-=A toast to J.K. Rowling for such excellent characters.=-**

**Severus as Uninvited Guest**

**The Only Guest**

Severus stood in his customary black overseeing the burial. He abided his father's wishes by not having a service. The heavy casket was lowered into the ground. "Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts." Severus took a deep draught of the single malt, and poured a spot in the grave. Standing to the side he watched the grave diggers earn their sterling.

The men tramped the earth down, "Sorry about your loss fellow." The older man offered.

"He was a nasty bastard. Here, you did a good job, thank you." He capped the bottle and gave the whisky to the men.

"Thank ye kindly sir. Bless yer heart."

Their words drifted to him. "I'll need the blessings, I expect."

**FIN**

The quote- Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. Is from Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 186


End file.
